Tag Archives: diet

Conferences are a fantastic way to educate yourself and make new connections with people. They’re also a great way to network at after-parties and gain a little weight. Let’s face it: most conference parties offer food which is full of carbs, sugars and other icky substances. Even though it tastes fantastic, our bodies may not thank us for partaking in the morning. What’s a geek to do to stay in shape while spending so much time attending events? Jake met up with Tim Ferriss – author of The 4-Hour Body – to find out.

Sticking with proteins and veggies can be done at SXSW and any other event you may be traveling to. Don’t feel you have to sample all of the food offered to you during conference lunches and dinner or during parties thrown for attendees. Additionally, if you feel you must drink alcohol, try ordering a NorCal Margarita. This is comprised of soda water, high-grade tequila and the juice from at least four limes. These drinks are the “lesser of many evils” according to Tim, since many types of booze contains a lot of calories.

Exercising in a hotel room can be tricky, and you usually don’t quite feel up to going for a morning run during conference days. Tim has a few ideas to help Jake out there, as well. Packing a few mini bands allows you to quickly do your resistance exercises. You can also adapt several normal types of exercise to give you more of a workout: try doing one-armed pushups against a desk at an angle. Do your squats with one leg raised. Make sure you aren’t a klutz like me before attempting any of these things, though.

If you don’t have any weights in your suitcase or hotel room to help with your workout, try making your exercises much slower than usual. If you’re performing squats, go down slowly at a count of five and come back up at a count of five. The same goes for many other types of stretches and lunges.

Lastly, Tim recommends looking into doing an intense workout the day before traveling which requires giving your body 5-7 days to recover before doing another. This sort of covers you for the days you are gone and cannot work your body to its usual pace.

Thousands of dollars are spent every week by people desperately trying to lose weight. Tips, tricks and hints are found everywhere you look. Weight loss is something that millions of people obsess about, and it’s one of the hardest things in the world to achieve. We try every fad, gadget and food that we can get our hands on. Some literally starve themselves to oblivion. Others yo-yo up and down without ever hitting the goal they have set for themselves. We try so hard – in so many ways – to get into the pants size we dream of. Who knew all we had to do was log on to the Internet?

Investigators at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research (KPCHR) designed a website to track the weight of about 350 of the 1,600 overweight or obese participants of a longer-term study. The site was designed to act like a weight-loss program which offers personal counseling and group meetings. The researchers feel that the mixture of accountability and sociability is what made it such a success. The study showed that the more often people logged into the site, the more likely they were to maintain weight loss.

This isn’t surprising to Nancy Makin. She lost more than a quarter of a ton after her sister purchased a computer for her birthday back in 2003. Nancy was afraid to go outdoors, due to the stares and rudeness she encountered when she tipped the scales at 703 pounds. After receiving the computer, she went online and found how easy it was to make friends when someone cannot see you. She began losing weight as she became integrated with an online community. She emphatically states that it wasn’t that she was no longer hungry. The key was the friendships she made, the fact she felt she belonged and the sense of community she came to love.

“The key is to find contentment and value in yourself by reaching out and doing something not for you, and the weight will come off as a side effect,” said Makin, who believes that community plays a larger role in weight loss for the morbidly obese, while accountability better helps those who are over weight.

I couldn’t agree more with the findings of this study. I’ve been building and catalyzing communities online for many years now. I’ve personally witnessed any number of physical – and emotional – changes in people over the years. Becoming a part of a thriving community – feeling as though you’re an important member of that society – can be the catalyst needed to change a person’s life.

What about you? How has your life changed for the better once you became part of an online community?

If you’re a person who is addicted to sugary soft drinks, I hope you don’t live in San Francisco. If you do, you may very well start a riot the next time you try to buy your favorite cola from a vending machine in the city limits. San Francisco’s mayor Gavin Newsom doesn’t feel you need to drink these toxic beverages. Instead, he wants you to choose a healthy alternative such as soy milk. The ban that was put in place in April is now starting to make its presence known throughout the city.

Thanks to @forrestkoba, I happened to read the article about the ban on drinks such as Coke and Pepsi in vending machines located on city property. Don’t worry… you can still purchase them in supermarkets and drink them in the secrecy of your own home. However, if you want to grab a cold can from a vending machine at City Hall, you’re out of luck. You could always “treat” yourself to some Soy milk, though!

All calorically sweetened beverages have been taken out of vending machines on city property. “That includes non-diet sodas, sports drinks and artificially sweetened water. Juice must be 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice with no added sweeteners. Diet sodas can be no more than 25 percent of the items offered, the directive says.” There will be a lot of pure juices, waters and non-dairy types of beverages available, though.

The directive also takes aim at snacks which have a high fat or calorie content. “There’s a direct link between what people eat and drink and the obesity and health care crises in this country,” Newsom spokesman Tony Winnicker said. “It’s entirely appropriate and not at all intrusive for city government to take steps to discourage the sale of sugary sodas on city property.”

What are your thoughts? Do you agree that it is “not intrusive” when a city (or other) government steps in and mandates what you can and cannot buy to eat or drink when visiting city-owned properties? Do you feel that they are going a bit too far in exercising their plans to make the city’s residents healthier?

When doing a Google search for ‘weight loss tips,’ my post on the subject will come up as the first result. One caller the other night asked me to expand on that, and give him an idea of some types of foods I usually eat. When I’m maintaining my weight, I tend to stick to about 2,000 calories a day. Eating healthy is a lifestyle choice for me, one that I am proud of and enjoy.

A few months ago, I was back up to a BMI of 26. When I weighed myself the other day, I was 140.8 pounds which gives me a BMI of 23. That may sound high, but it’s not horrible. It gets away from me every so often. I do have a few ground rules that I follow which keep me (generally) healthy:

As a male who is getting on in years, I have to be conscious of how much fiber is in my daily diet, too. Most breads on store shelves have high-fructose corn syrup in them, though. I’ve found a good brand recently called Dave’s Killer Bread. This guy is an ex-con who spent time in prison for theft and things of that nature. Part of their mission statement reads that they are committed to “bake the highest quality wholegrain and organic bread without compromise.” The bread is healthy, yes. It’s also extremely delicious.

I’m also eating a lot more fruit than I used to. Drinking fruit juice is not the same thing. There’s very little actual fruit in fruit juices, it seems. If you’re going to have fruit, eat the real deal – since your body needs the fiber to go along with the vitamins and minerals that Mother Nature packs into every bite.

I don’t eat “wacky” foodstuffs (as in, foodcrap invented by man). I love peanut butter and toast – nothing wrong with that! If I’m out and about, it’s more difficult to eat well (since I don’t know what’s going inside most served meals). As always, try to be conscious about how many calories you’re taking in – if that’s something you need to be concerned about.

Some people say that as long as you exercise, you don’t have to worry about what you eat. That’s simply not true. If you shovel crap into your mouth all day long, you’ll never be able to exercise enough to keep up. Yes, athletes sure eat a lot – but they also know what to eat, how to eat, and when to eat. More importantly, they burn off what they take in. Are you?

The biggest difficulty that most people have is cutting junk food out of their daily life. Junk food is just that: it’s full of junk. Fast food isn’t much better, on average. Sure, there are “healthy” choices at most fast food joints – but you can do much better for yourself at home. If you’re a soda drinker and you stop drinking it (changing nothing else in your diet), I’ll bet anything you’ll lose five pounds within a month… just from cutting down on the amount of sugar that you’re taking in. It’s even worse to replace that with diet soda – you’re body doesn’t know what to do with artificial sweeteners, yo.

Stop dealing with manufactured and processed foods; put real food in your body, and your body will thank you for it.

So, can you lose weight fast? Yes, but for that to happen, you’d need to be under strict supervision by a medical professional. It’s quite possible to do with a proper combination of variables – but turning to miracle pills and magical diets isn’t likely do bring you anything but disappointment. Then again, the word “fast” is quite relative.

If you want to copy me, don’t. There is no “one size fits all.” You should also understand:

I try to get an ample amount of rest every night (which affects metabolism and recovery time).

I’m currently not trying to maintain weight; my regimen keeps me at about 1,500 calories per day, balanced between proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. I’ll be reaching my ideal weight soon, and then it’s back to maintaining it.

I do my best to drink water (especially to counteract how much water I lose with coffee, a diuretic).

Do your own research, set your own (attainable) goals, and then start making changes. Nobody else is going to get healthy for you – it doesn’t work that way.

If you’re anything like me, you’ve struggled with your weight at some point in your life. I’m intent on being on the slimmer side of life. A few years ago when I lost about 40 pounds, I posted my weight loss tips on my blog. I keep an eye on my calorie counts, and do my best to maintain a healthy weight for my age and height. Maybe you, too, are struggling with losing weight. A friend of mine and I just released a diet eBook to share our tips and tricks with you!

Are you taking advantage of your metabolism to lose weight? With all of the hype and often dangerous advice out there we’re committed to giving you the straight truth, the hidden tricks, and the most effective fat burning methods to trim your waistline and tighten your abs.

Right now, we’re throwing in a few free gifts, including two more excellent books: The Mental Truth Behind Dieting and Metabolism Boosting Workouts. You’ll also have a chance to win $1000.00 to the best weight-loss story that comes in! The price for all of this is only $39.00.

I’m not just endorsing this, guys – I’m living it every day.

You know my email address. Drop me a line if you are afraid to start, or unsure. I’d be happy to talk with you about it. I’ve had the struggle all my life, and I’m happy to say I’ve found the ways to overcome it.

http://twitter.com/chrispirillo

After on my 50 weight loss tips, readers submitted quite a few of their own. If you have any more to add, please leave a comment!

(Geoff Kleinman) Yoga. It’s been proven to help other weight loss efforts and can be a great way to shed pounds and keep sane. I do it 3-4 times a week and have noticed a big impact. My fav – Vinyasa.

(Rob Gibbens) Walk. I park my car at the far end of the parking lot instead of near the door. I walk up to the 5th floor of our building to go to the restroom instead of using the one across the hall. I walk laps around the building at lunch. Take the far route to wherever you’re going, and add steps to your day. Last year, I started on Weight Watchers, and lost 50 lbs. Then I stopped and I gained back 25 of it, so I’m back on it now and have lost 8 lbs in 2 weeks.

(Chris Pirillo) Byte when you bite. While I’m certain your significant other will frown upon this, I suggest eating your meals by (or near) your computer desk. When the plate is initially set down, take a few bites and turn back to the task at hand. Five minutes later, you’ll remember that you’ve got food sitting there – take another bite or two. Then, continue working. If you’re really, truly hungry – you’ll clear the whole plate over a period of twenty minutes, and chances are you won’t want seconds .If you’re not that hungry, your plate may remain half-eaten. Good way to force yourself to take pauses in between nibbles.

(Chris Pirillo) Zone out while you burn up. I’ve been a fan of the Gazelle for a while now, as it’s quite a low-impact workout (with results that may not be immediate, but certain after a period of time). The 40-minute workout flys by when I have something to watch on the television in front of me. Don’t rely on what’s on at the time, though – as if you’re bored with the programming, the workout will drag on and on and on. Try hooking up a Media Center PC / DVR, portable DVD player for your Netflix films, or a video game system (if your hand-eye coordination is sharp).

(Chris Pirillo) Get a digital toolbelt. I bet you use the Internet every day of the average week, so use that habit to your advantage. There are countless Web resources out there to help you through initial periods of a dietary change. Just about every one of them will try to sell you something, too – but you might be able to find what you need for free. For instance, my choice (as noted when I first announced my weight loss goals) is CalorieKing. The searchable index of foods is quite comprehensive, and can easily be accessed from their site without fee. However, I’ve found their Windows desktop client to be absolutely indispensable for tracking measurements and meals (seriously, it’s one of the best pieces of software I’ve ever purchased). Hey, I’m in front of the computer anyway – it might as well be helping me get healthier, eh?! You can’t know where you’re going unless you know where you are.

(Chris Pirillo) Weigh too geeky. I know they say you shouldn’t weigh yourself more than once a week, but I like knowing how I’m doing down to .2 of a pound. For this reason, I might recommend a scale that will give you precise digital measurements. A while ago, both Ponzi and I chose a Tanita scale. It allows you to have a separate setting for up to four people. More importantly, it’s quite accurate in terms of measuring weight and BMI. It’s difficult when you first step on the scale and see how much you weigh, but at least you don’t weigh more than it says you do!

(Chris Schlieter) Find someone who can measure your base metabolic rate (many registered dieticians can point you in the right direction), then use that information to set a daily calorie target that is appropriate.

(Chris Schlieter) Use a program to help with your diet and exercise diary. We had success with the PC version of FitDay (www.fitday.com).

(Chris Schlieter) If using a small digital kitchen scale, cut up some small sheets of wax paper in advance. This makes it quick and easy to weigh something, then throw out the used sheet of wax paper (instead of needing to clean the scale).

(Chris Schlieter) Get a partner in on the program, ideally one in your household so you can keep tabs on each other.

(Chris Schlieter) If desserts are a high priority for you, develop the habit of having a 100-120 calorie one nightly. There are lots of choices now, pudding cups, fruit cups, and sherbet are easy to have on hand.

(Oltexasboy) Dieting DOES NOT work . It has to be a lifestyle change. I never was a big meat eater, so when I went To a mostly vegetarian diet, it was not a big deal. I lost 22% of my body weight and 30 lbs. In a year. My cholesterol went down to 129, & for the first time in 20 years I was regular again.( I have a thyroid problem And regular is not in my vocabulary.) There are a lot of really good vegetarian foods and meals that are easy to fix. I finally have abandoned it, but I am a mechanic, and when you eat on the run out of a lunch box, it is hard to stay on any semblance of a diet. When I started, I worked in a shop and had regular hours and eating was considerably less of a hassle. Dr. Dean Ornish, has a great book ” Eat more and Weight Less ” I recommend it highly and ” and the mag ” Vegetarian Times”. Good luck and remember, you didn’t get this way over night and you will not get skinny overnight. Again Good luck from a Texas Gnomie.

(Jim Reavis) I’ve lost 40# in the last year (from 225 to 185) by reducing my food intake and thinking about what I was eating. No additional exercising and no more donuts. I also dropped coffee and sugar drinks. I feel much better, my back doesn’t hurt, my tremors have improved and my blood pressure is better.

(Bob Boxold) Having lost enough weight equal to a family of 2.5 person, a good portion of it reattached my flank and stuck. I have tried many programs, some good, some not so good. I like weight watchers program but have little in common with those who attend the meetings. Calories, however equal pounds. I weigh my food, a simple electronic scale; I weigh myself on a good scales once a week. I diary, after each meal. I have found this program, while not free, not too expensive. It has a windows pocket pc module, unfortunately that only works on ppc 2003 or below. I have found it to be very good for keeping track of intake and exercise (I know that a dirty word to geeks or semi geeks but it is a necessary ingredient) it is working, for me (this is not a paid advertisement I have no financial interest in this company or software but like you I was seeking a geekier solution.) Also for non geeks or those who just like the feel of paper The Vegetarian Times has great recipes if you substitute a few of high fat ingredients to lower calories.

(Cherry Thomas) Never eat after 2 PM. This may take some adjustment but is well worth it. I topped out at 185 lbs, 24 years ago (I’m 5’2″) and have maintained a healthy weight of 120 lbs for the last 22 years. If your urges grow too great, eat popcorn that is low fat with no transfats. It is very filling without many calories. An even better idea is to keep some canned soup and already seasoned canned vegetables on hand (I can recommend Glory) and eat those. A can of lima beans is good for you and will fill you right up!

(Cherry Thomas) Work out at least 3 times a week. I recommend an ipod or other listening device with a book on tape written to it. Keeps you from getting bored and thinking about all the things you could be doing instead of working out.

(Cherry Thomas) When you go out to eat, ask the waiter to box your dinner as soon as it is served. Most restaurants serve you about twice what you should be eating. If you box the other immediately, you are not tempted to overeat and you automatically have tomorrow’s lunch.

(Cherry Thomas) Stay away from fast food restaurants. They are so popular because fat tastes good. It is difficult for most people to enter one and only order coffee. If you simply don’t go near them, you never “accidentally” eat that large order of French fries.

(Cherry Thomas) Keep a small baggie of dry cereal in your car/purse/desk. If you are suddenly starving you have a ready made snack that is good for you and will prevent you from heading toward that hamburger.

(Cherry Thomas) Don’t buy or bring home high calorie food such as cookies or ice cream. Craving for that kind of food will go away once you have stopped eating it for a while.

(Pol Stafford) Best way I’ve found to be healthy and slender is to go raw – eating a raw food diet is healthy, easy, planet-friendly and yummy. It amazes me how little I eat and how healthy I am. When I went raw, I lost 20 pounds the first month, and I feel great a year later, down 60 pounds.

(Lisa Miller) Here’s a weight-loss tip that originated hundreds of years ago in Europe. Before the advent of methods of calorie counting, a few people noticed that anything “white”; refined sugar, processed “white” flour, potatoes and white rice would pack on pounds and by avoiding these things you would, over time, get down to a reasonable weight. What they couldn’t know was that these items all hit your system in the same way, just like a straight shot of sugar, requiring little effort by the body to process, leaving little or no nutritional value, and very soon you were hungry again. Many so-called “miracle diets” these days have caught on to the fact that excessive carbohydrates are a bad thing but some of them go too far. I enjoyed reading the “Hacker’s Diet” that (I think) I saw referenced in your ezine. It was sensible and honest.

(Norm Stoehr) At age 40, I found myself single again after 20 years of marriage. As I re-entered the dating game, I realized that the “package” (my body) was out of date, so I set about the re-design by taking up triathlon training, sometimes to the tune of four hours a day. That forced me to regard food as fuel, and I began to eat to live, instead of living to eat. As I aged (now 64), I moderated the workouts … moving to the objective of staying fit, instead of competing. Food and beer intake is still fun, but is ALWAYS a function of what I want to accomplish in a given day. That is, eating is still regarded as fuel, and timed to dovetail with any chosen workouts. Guinness, which is lower in alcohol and has fewer calories than most beer, is a reward for a good day of output.

(Norm Stoehr) Attitude also comes into play. If you think you’re fat, you are. If you think you’re fit, you are AND others see you as fit, not fat.

(Matt Patterson) First and foremost… drop the soda if you drink it. Water or if all else fails Green Tea is your best bet. I prefer good old water myself. You can cut out a lot of extra calories with this step alone.

(Matt Patterson) Exercise. I have a dog who needs a few walks a day so I get a couple of miles in that way. But what I recommend more than anything else is Matt Furey’s Combat Conditioning. When I was starting my weight loss program I was looking into something where I could work out, trim fat but not have to go to the gym as I didn’t really have a solid, reliable workout partner. That is when I found Matt’s site and I haven’t looked back since. I bought his combat conditioning book and did the Royal Court for 30 days which is a series of only 3 exercises. I couldn’t believe the impact on my muscles as well as the aerobic workout that it gave me. And the best part is, I can do it anywhere as there is no equipment needed. I know the title sounds a bit intense and maybe not what a geek would want/need. But you’ll be amazed at how your body will change. You’ll lose the fat and boost your energy in no time.

(Billy Stewart) I don’t even think of it as a diet. I think more along the lines of “eating healthier foods and getting more exercise”.

(Billy Stewart) I weigh myself once a week. My weight can fluctuate 2-3 pounds a day; so it is best to average it out for the week.

(Billy Stewart) I go to the YMCA 3 times a week.- I do weights twice a week. I do the treadmill 3 times a week. (I swim sometimes too).

(Billy Stewart) I have found it best to have small snacks during the day. If I wait to long between meals, my blood sugar drops, I feel real hungry and then I gorge on junk food.

(Billy Stewart) Sometimes it is helpful to treat yourself every now and then. Just get back to your healthy habits the next day. Don’t think of it as a disaster because you treat yourself once in a while.

(Mike McDonald) Buy an exercise machine that can be connected to the ifit.com website. Sure their membership costs about the same as a monthly subscription to Tivo or the latest MMORPG (you can get a one month free trial), but the coolness factor of having an internet based program control the speed and incline of my Treadmill along with music and the voice coaching of a personal trainer has been motivating for me. I’ve lost over 25 pounds since the beginning of the year.

(Lorraine) I just cut all my meals in half, eat half one day & the other half the next, I lost 20 pounds this way. Of course it may not suit everyone’s idea of dieting but I really don’t think I could eat a full meal now in one sitting. I am now quite a bit under my goal weight & I really only continue because it has become second nature to me & I do it automatically.

(Bo Hanson) This is WereBo from your Lockergnome Forums 🙂 My tip for weight loss (guaranteed works for me) is to use smaller dinner plates 😀 … Mrs WereBo cooks wonderful healthy meals with lots of fresh veg etc. then dishes it all up on large dinner plates. When she visited the USA 2 years ago, I was left cooking the same food for myself. My portion size was a bit off and when served on the usual dinner plate, it looked near empty. I piled the food onto a smaller plate (approx 1/2 size) and it looked well full, kidding my stomach that a full meal was in front of it. It works!! I lost 1.5 stone (21 lb) in 3 months and it’s stayed gone… I’m still down to 10.5 stone (147 lb) although, during Winter, it went up to about 155 lbs. I’m expecting it to drop back down when I start hitting the summer salads again 😉

(Jamie) My name is Jamie, and I’m an RN in the Emergency Department. So of course, working with nurses, I work with a bunch of really good eaters. Not that we eat well. But we know how to eat. Still, we are constantly being told by doctors and each other how we SHOULD eat. But with all the surrounding doctors offices, nursing homes, and ambulance crews constantly bringing us goodies, it’s never easy to follow our own advice. Still, I have some.

(Jamie) Eat foods high in fiber. Add a cup of baked beans to your meal. You’ll fill up faster, feel fuller longer, and get loads of needed fiber, and nutrients. Studies have shown that fiber is what makes us feel full, not fat as we used to think.

(Jamie) Sometimes, it’s good to FEED your craving. If you crave chocolate, have a small piece or two. Otherwise, in your need to satisfy a craving, you may eat way more calories and fat snacking ‘healthy.’ It is said that it only takes a few bites of what you truly crave to satisfy the craving.

(Jamie) Most people have no idea what a normal serving is. Sometimes it helps to truly measure out what you eat just to see. 4oz of meat is really small compared with a serving you may get at a restaurant. It should be about the size of your palm, and about 1/2 inch thick. So if your out, order the 8oz steak, and cut it in half. That’s considered a single serving!

(Jamie) Much like Chris’s ‘sit at your computer’ trick, distraction can really help you NOT to eat. I find that if I go out with friends, I concentrate more on the conversation than the food. So eat with people! It’s easy, however, to eat MORE than you would if you are watching television. That’s because your hands are free, and your mind isn’t on your meal. So if your going to watch TV and eat, put small portions on your plate. Maybe by the commercial break, you won’t want seconds so badly. Or watch CSI while you eat. Guarranteed to work with your diet. Unless your a nurse… We can eat through anything.

(Jim) It may sound trival but when you drink water or other “cold” drinks… add ice. The body uses more energy maintaining your body temperature. I find the drink more refreshing ice cold and feel that every little bit helps. If you use 10 calaries a day… that is a pound a month… aproximately.

(Chris Conder) Love yourself. Eat good food. Do not put rubbish into your system and it will perform well for you. You are what you eat! If you think you are fat, you will get fatter. If you diet, you will always have to diet. Therefore, you must think you are thin. You will always be thinner than someone else, so think you are thin and you will just get thinner and thinner without dieting. ever! Honest, this really works.

(Debora C) Water, water and more water!! I actually used water to maintain my weight even in my teen years. One full glass just before sitting down to any meal fills you faster and keeps you full longer and all dietitions will tell you that rarely do any of us get enough water. 6 8ounce glasses per day is the minimum!!

(Susi) Drink LOTS of water. This is one of the easiest and best things you can do. Often, when you feel “snackish,” you’re really craving water. Drinking 64 oz of water a day (8 glasses) not only keeps you hydrated, but it keeps you feeling full.

(Susi) Make sure to eat lots of fruits and veggies. Cut out fruit juices and replace them with the real thing. Fruit juices have as many calories as sodas and lack the fiber of the whole fruit. Eating a fruit or vegetable that contains a lot of water helps you fight off cravings and will satisfy your need for fiber.

(Susi) Like others mentioned above, don’t be afraid to “indulge.” There’s nothing wrong with having a little wine and a piece of chocolate during the day. But when you decide to satisfy your sweet tooth, do it somewhere away from distractions. Don’t wolf down the chocolate while watching Lost. Sit at the table and really savor the taste of your treat!

(Susi) Eat several small meals a day, around five. It’s strange to do at first, but it keeps your blood sugar up and you’re less likely to binge at a meal. It is also very satisfying! You feel like you’ve done nothing but eat all day (because you have), but then you realize you’ve been eating small healthy meals, which is very rewarding!

(Susi) Find something inspiring and carry it with you or put it where you can get to it easily. I actually kept Ponzi’s post from last year about how hard it is to battle weight and I reread it every now and then (I’ve lost 25 pounds since then!). Little affirmations/guidances and things like that help you stay on the right path!

(Susi) One last one… JOURNAL! Make sure you write down everything you put into your mouth each and every day. It puts everything in to perspective and should you begin to gain weight again, you can go back and look at that past week or two to see what affected your progress. No sense in omitting or flubbing things in your journal because you’re only lying to yourself.

(Jen Wiederick) While sensible eating is always a good idea, there’s only so far it can take you. For the rest, find a physical activity you actually LOVE. I promise, it’s out there. For me it ended up being rowing – but unless you find something that gets you up and out and moving on a regular basis, you’ll never break through the plateau. And if you just workout because you *have* to, you’re likely to end up stopping when you’ve reached your goal, and much more likely to put a large portion of the weight you just lost, back on.

(Alex Williams) Sell the car. Ride a bike. Walk. Avoid dairy like the plague. Share your meal with the significant other. Portions are too huge, anyway. NDrink water. That’s what works for me. The car one is the toughest. Perhaps I should add that you may want to move to Portland, Or. I would not want to ride my bike to work in Dallas! Wait…am I wrong? Is Dallas a bike city?

(Dan Ciruli) My co-workers and I are all doing this for our New Year’s Resolution: on January 1, we each did 1 push-up and 1 sit-up (well, 1 crunch). On the second we did 2. And so on. Today was the 75th day of the year, so I did 75 pushups and crunches this morning. By the end of the year, of course, we’ll be doing 365 a day, and we will have done over 66,000 during the course of the year. My brother did this last year and practiced portion control (no change in diet, just portion size): he lost about 25 pounds and, moreover, looks like he was chiseled out of a piece of marble now!

(Rob Stevens) Surprised no one has mentioned this yet. Dance Dance Revolution! Sure, you’ll feel like a fool at first, but do it in the privacy of your own home and get the hang of it. I lost 60 lbs. playing DDR over six months. Nothing like making exercise a game, much like what Jen was saying.

(Christopher M. Knight) “Working Out” sucks…so “Train” instead. The difference is perception because when you are “training” for an event or an end-outcome, it makes it easier to stay focused on the tasks needed to achieve the end-outcome. Grab an event, such as a triathlon, marathon or even a trip to your favorite beach as the reason for your ‘training’ in the gym.

This is Mark Severn’s submission for the HP Magic Giveaway. Feel free to leave comments for this article as you see fit – your feedback is certainly welcomed! If you’d like to submit your own how-to, what-is, or top-five list, you can send it to me. Views and opinions of this writer are not necessarily my own:

“We are what we eat”, both in quantity and quality. We are also the product of what we do or don’t do. The image that you see in the mirror, and the emotional and physical reality that accompanies that view, is the result of many factors. Nothing influences this reality more than the foods and beverages that you put into your body and the activities that you engage in.

The need for a diet or program that works is a booming business. With a new concept and book hitting the Best-seller list every year – the need for an answer never ends. Many of these books are great reads and enlighten the reader to different concepts of nutrition for both weight loss and/or disease management. I have read many and recommend some but I have yet to find one that compares to the power of a food and exercise journal.

The main reason? YOU. You are the author, researcher and analyst. Over time your journal becomes your personal diet and exercise book – one that is specifically suited just for you. What you eat and the activities that you engage in can vary considerably compared to others. The obstacles that we encounter – as we try to make changes – also varies. My Achilles heel may be cookies, but yours may be scheduling issues. Heres Why it Works:

Accountability.

Keeping a journal boosts self-control and increases your accountability. You are probably not going to write down that you just ate 6 cookies. By recording what you eat you are more likely to limit yourself to a 1 cookie serving instead.

Research.

Keeping a journal will help you evaluate your “empty” calorie intake. You may begin to wonder how much fat, protein or calories are in the muffin you have with your morning coffee. You will look at the food label to discover the answers. If there is no food label you will look it up online, or in a Food Counts book.

A journal will highlight Planned Exercise vs. Actual Activity. You can’t avoid the fact that you haven’t entered any activity over the last three days. Why not? Does your workout schedule conflict with your current daily schedule? Is the exercise plan you have chosen boring, are you finding it hard to even show up? There are many ways to increase your activity level – find what works for you – find what fits into your lifestyle.

Analysis.

A journal shows your progress. After recording a starting point and a goal you have a visual representation of your progress and what efforts are paying off. A review of your journal can also be a great motivator when you find yourself backsliding.

Examining your journal can also help you associate the different feelings that you have with certain foods and activities. You can start to identify patterns and make plans for a healthy change.

A journal is a way to evaluate what you are doing. Maybe you are drinking too much caffeine or alcohol, or not eating enough vegetables and fruit, or maybe you need to be drinking more water. You can evaluate and make necessary changes.

Guilt Free Indulgence.

Keeping track of your food intake and activity levels also lets you know when you can treat yourself. You can plan to indulge yourself guilt free if you know that you are on track and doing well.

Your next step – Take action. Get a journal and begin recording your nutrition and exercise now. For ease of use I recommend using a pre-made template design that is specifically made for recording food and activity. Ask your favorite Personal Trainer, Health Club or Bookstore – most will have some type of journal that you can use.

The internet also provides some services – both fee based and free – to do the same thing. Although I find writing it down, as opposed to entering info online, to be more effective. A paper Journal is always with you and is easily accessed – it forces you to do the research and analysis. Online programs do a lot of the work for you, thus missing out on some real nuggets of information. Although they are easier you do not have a physical record.

Whether you journal on paper or on the computer it’s time to get started. Keeping a journal is not as easy as following a series of steps outlined in a book, but, the power of that journal will show itself with results and lessons learned. Lessons that will last a lifetime.

As the new year approaches and resolutions begin, make sure that you are using a wellness journal and harnessing the most powerful tool for change. YOU!

I try to stay healthy. I start the day with a nutritious breakfast, usually including whole-grain cereal. I also tend to drink some juice with it. I’m told I need more anti-oxidants in my system, whatever that means. I found some juice that can help with this. Acai juice is one of the best ways to boost the anti-oxidants in your blood stream.

The Acai Berry which is commonly pronounced a-sigh-ee, is a rather small, round, and black-looking purple. It resembles a grape or a blueberry, but is yet smaller and darker. This fruit has a large seed and minimum amount of pulp. The acai fruit berry is now broadly used in energy juices, ice cream, certain energy bars with granola.

Known as the miracle fruit, acai berries also helps in preventing cancer due to it’s antioxidant properties that are five times more potent than gingko biloba, a commonly used herbal therapy product.

Acai berry juice has been introduced into other products like bars and health snacks to be sold at gyms and health spars. It’s history is important as by studying the effects that the berry has had on the tribesmen in the Amazon we have discovered that it’s traditional use as an energy booster for hunting and good libido has lead to acai berry juice to being a very commercially viable product.

There are many health benefits to drinking or eating Acai berries. I’m hoping that drinking this stuff will help me contain my free radicals!

Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

You’ve read my weight loss tips. It’s been a couple of years since I wrote that, and (for the most part) I’ve been able to maintain that weight. I’ve had minor weight fluctuations since then, but in recent months had noticed a slightly fatter face (and the less couth watching my live stream were quick to point it out to me). I was past my 10 pound threshold, and decided to stop drinking coffee again – a habit that has been nearly impossible to kick, but I hope I’m really past it this time.

Lucky for me, my license for CalorieKing’s software still applied – even on Mac OS X. I fired ‘er up and started keeping track. It’s been a little over a month since I re-started, and I’m incredibly close to my goal weight. It’s been quite simple, thanks to the math and prior knowledge. All you really need to know is how many calories it takes to “live” and lose weight – the rest is just putting that into practice. That’s the hard part. 🙂

The results do speak for themselves (at least, they do to me). I figured it’d take longer to get to this point, but I’m certainly in the home stretch. I won’t likely return to a regular regimen until some point in early 2009, but I’m not sure I’m going to keep using this software while I’m stable (not losing weight, not gaining weight). Maybe that’ll keep me from doing too much or too little over the course of any given day?

Losing weight isn’t always fun, and I’ve never been much on exercise (that’s why I always take the low-impact approach). There is no perfect lifestyle, just a close-to-perfect lifestyle for you. Everybody is different, internally and externally – you have to find your own perfection and your own path. Just… try to find it before it’s too late?

No matter, here’s a demonstration of what I use to help me lose weight and watch what I eat:

It’s the best one out there, for either platform. And if you still haven’t read my weight loss tips yet, there’s no time like the present to do it.